What to Expect When Getting Your Drains Removed After a Mastectomy

For many women, the thought of dealing with drains after surgery, particularly having to have them removed, is one of the scariest parts of having a mastectomy or having implants put in.

But being well-informed about exactly what it’s like to have your drains removed could help you be better prepared for the experience and potentially fear it less.

Photo: YouTube/BEAUTY THROUGH THE BEAST™

Chiara, who has created the video blog “Beauty Through the Beast,” is dedicated to helping women overcome their fears about breast cancer by giving them a clear view of exactly what every part of the process is like.

In this video, Chiara invites you into her doctor’s appointment, where she will be getting her drains removed after having implants put in.

Photo: YouTube/BEAUTY THROUGH THE BEAST™

When Chiara gives him the go-ahead, the doctor removes the tape and dressing that covers the area, cuts the stitch that has been holding the drain in place, and pulls the drain tube out. Then he covers the area with a small bandage. The hole where the tube was will close up on its own in just a couple of days.

Photo: YouTube/BEAUTY THROUGH THE BEAST™

The whole process takes less than a minute. Check it out below.

WARNING: This is a video of an actual medical procedure and may be disturbing to some viewers.

Elizabeth Nelson is a wordsmith, an alumna of Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, a four-leaf-clover finder, and a grammar connoisseur. She has lived in west Michigan since age four but loves to travel to new (and old) places. In her free time, she. . . wait, what’s free time?